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Grossularite

Garnet

By Tim Matthews, JD, FGA, GG, DGA,
CEO and President of JTV
Published: June 2014
Modified: July 2022
Grossularite Polished Grossularite Rough Grossularite Jewelry
Table of Contents
  • General Information
  • Grossularite Colors
  • Grossularite Spectra
  • Alternate Names
  • Countries of Origin
  • Care
  • Species/Variety

The garnet species, grossularite (or grossular), has several well-known gemstone varieties including hessonite, tsavorite, leuco garnet, and hydrogrossular. The name for this species is derived from a Latin word for gooseberry a green fruit. Grossular garnet can be colorless, white, gray, yellow or brown, yellowish green to green, orange to reddish orange, various shades of red, and nearly black.

General Information

  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical Properties
  • Chemistry & Crystallography
Common Name
Grossularite
Species
Garnet
Transparency
Translucent-Transparent
Dispersion
Strength: Moderate Fire Value: 0.027
Refractive Index
1.730-1.760
Optic Character
NA
Optic Sign
NA
Polariscope Reaction
Anomalous Double Refraction (ADR), Singly Refractive (SR)
Fluorescence
SWUV: Colorless or mint: weak yellow-orange; Yellow: Inert to weak orange
LWUV: Colorless or mint: inert to weak orange; Yellow: Inert to weak orange, pink or red
CCF Reaction
None
Hardness
7-7.5
Streak
None
Specific Gravity
3.570-3.730
Toughness
Good
Inclusions
Hessonite garnet rounded crystals and "scotch and water" effect; Tsavorite or mint garnet fingerprints, healed fractures, graphite.
Luster
Vitreous
Stability
Good
Fracture
Irregular, uneven, conchoidal
Cleavage
None
Chemical Name
calcium aluminum silicate
Chemical Formula
Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
Crystal System
Cubic
Chemistry Classification
Silicate

Grossularite Colors

  • Colorless Grossularite
    Colorless
  • Yellow Grossularite
    Yellow
  • Green Grossularite
    Green
  • Red Grossularite
    Red
  • White Grossularite
    White
  • Gray Grossularite
    Gray
  • Black Grossularite
    Black
  • Brown Grossularite
    Brown
  • Orange Grossularite
    Orange
  • Green Grossularite
    Green
  • Yellow Grossularite
    Yellow
  • Green Grossularite
    Green
  • Orange Grossularite
    Orange
  • Yellow Grossularite
    Yellow
  • Yellow Grossularite
    Yellow
  • Yellow Grossularite
    Yellow
  • Green Grossularite
    Green
  • Green Grossularite
    Green

Grossularite Spectra

Grossularite Spectra
GARNET Grossular - andradite

Color due to iron. A broad strong band centered at 443nm.in the deep blue

Grossularite Spectra
GROSSULAR GARNET

Color mainly due to manganese. Absorption in the areas around 505nm. and 527nm. General absorption of the yellow

Grossularite Spectra
HYDROGROSSULAR GARNET

Color due to chromium. With translucent material cut en cabochon light does not penetrate far and often a thin edge is best to obtain sufficient transmission to observe a spectrum. Only a vague absorption band may be detected centered about 600nm. a narrower stronger one at 640nm. and a stronger one at 675nm. this being difficult to resolve as it has very little transmission

Grossularite Spectra
HYDRO-GROSSULAR GARNET

Color mainly due to manganese. Weak absorption in the areas 505nm. and 527nm. Weak general absorption of the yellow

We acknowledge the significant scientific contributions of John S Harris, FGA to the study of gemstone spectra and with deep appreciation to him, acknowledges the use of his images and related notes about gemstones and their spectra in the educational materials on this website.

Alternate Names

Hessonite, cinnamon stone, tsavorite, mint garnet, leuco garnet, hydrogrossular, grossular

Countries of Origin

Myanmar; Papua New Guinea; Angola; Cambodia; Malaysia; Kazakhstan; Portugal; Oman; Greece; Austria; Mongolia; Korea (the Republic of); Morocco; Unknown; Mali; Brazil; Algeria; Iraq; Tonga; Colombia; Ecuador; Argentina; Hungary; Japan; Ukraine; Taiwan (Province of China); Bolivia (Plurinational State of); India; New Zealand; Canada; Turkey; Namibia; Finland; Honduras; Italy; South Africa; Antarctica; Jamaica; Peru; Germany; Tanzania, United Republic Of; Afghanistan; Russian Federation; Czechia; Guinea; United States of America; Egypt; Madagascar; Sierra Leone; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Saudi Arabia; Sweden; Pakistan; China; Ireland; Poland; Slovakia; Bulgaria; France; Jordan; Kyrgyzstan; Romania; Sri Lanka; Kenya; Switzerland; Spain; Cuba; Nicaragua; Norway; Botswana; Dominican Republic; Mexico; Zimbabwe; Australia; Greenland; Indonesia

Care

Normal care

Species/Variety

Hessonite

Nicknamed the "cinnamon stone", hessonite is a variety of grossular garnet and comes in two colors, golden and cinnamon. A perfectly colored hessonite is a bright golden orange that resembles a combination of honey and orange with an internal fire. Some hessonites have tints of red and brown with cinnamon appearance. Hessonite is common in the gem gravels of Sri Lanka and practically all hessonite is obtained from this locality, although it is also found in Africa. While the clearest gems are most prized, inclusions in hessonite are common, with unique toffee-like streaks giving hessonite an oily or even glass-like appearance.

Hessonite Grossularite
Hessonite Grossularite
  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Hessonite
Refractive Index
1.74 typical
CCF Reaction
None
Specific Gravity
3.57
Toughness
Good
Inclusions
Stubby, rounded included crystals. Shows oily, "heat wave" or "scotch in water" effect.
Stability
Good

Mali Garnet

Mali garnet is one of the latest discoveries in the garnet family. This attractive and very interesting rare mixture of andradite and grossular was only discovered in late 1994 at the Sandar Mine in Mali's Kayes region (Diakon Arrondissement). Extremely rare, Mali garnets are a bright, uniform light yellowish green color.

Mali Garnet Grossularite
Mali Garnet Grossularite
  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Mali Garnet
Refractive Index
1.752-1.779
Fluorescence
SWUV: Inert
LWUV: Inert
Specific Gravity
3.64
Toughness
Good
Inclusions
Many Mali garnet stones are inclusion free but sometimes small mineral crystals and fingerprints are found along with parallel growth planes.
Stability
Good

Leuco Garnet

Leuco garnet is the colorless variety of grossular garnet. The colorless variety is extremely rare. Known specimens have come from Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

Leuco Garnet Grossularite
Leuco Garnet Grossularite
  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Leuco Garnet
Refractive Index
1.74 typical
CCF Reaction
None
Specific Gravity
3.57
Toughness
Good
Inclusions
Might contain mineral inclusions or healed fractures
Stability
Good

Mint Garnet

Mint garnet is the pale green variety of grossular garnet that gets its color from trace amounts of vanadium and chromium. Gemstones are typically under 1 ct. It is indicator gem for tanzanite and has been found in Tanzania, Kenya, and Madagascar. It has the nickname “UV garnet” because most stones florescence a peachy orange in Long Wave Ultraviolet light.

Mint Garnet Grossularite
Mint Garnet Grossularite
  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Mint Garnet
Refractive Index
1.74 typical
CCF Reaction
None
Specific Gravity
3.57
Toughness
Good
Inclusions
Rounded mineral inclusions, silk
Stability
Good

Rosolite, Landerite or Xalostocite

Rosolite which is sometimes called landerite or xalostocite is found in Sierra de Cruces, Mexico. It is the translucent to opaque variety of grossular garnet found in marble.

  • Classification
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Rosolite, Landerite or Xalostocite
Specific Gravity
3.57
Toughness
Good
Inclusions
Included
Stability
Good

Tsavorite

Tsavorite is one of two green varieties of garnet, though arguably the more important of the two. Especially in smaller sizes, tsavorite creates competition for emerald because it is less included, rarely treated and more durable. Like some emerald and green tourmaline, tsavorite garnet owes its green hues to the presence of vanadium and chromium. First discovered in Tanzania in 1967 and a few years later in Kenya, tsavorite's name pays homage to the nearby Tsavo National Park.

Tsavorite Grossularite
Tsavorite Grossularite
  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Tsavorite
Refractive Index
1.74 typical
CCF Reaction
Some stones may appear pink or red
Specific Gravity
3.57
Toughness
Good
Inclusions
Tsavorite garnet is a Type II clarity stone. Stones will sometimes have feathers, fingerprint inclusions, needles, asbestos fibers and small graphite platelets
Stability
Good

Hydrogrossular Garnet

Hydrogrossular garnet is typically translucent to opaque and is usually available as cabochons, but on rare occasion may be found as transparent, faceted gemstones. Generally seen as green to blue-green, pink, white, and gray, this gemstone may contain small dark gray to black inclusions and may look similar to jade if opaque. Hydrogrossular is a variety of grossular garnet where hydroxide partially replaces silica.

Hydrogrossular Garnet Grossularite
Hydrogrossular Garnet Grossularite
  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Hydrogrossular Garnet
Refractive Index
1.72 typical
CCF Reaction
Green: possibly pinkish
Specific Gravity
3.13
Toughness
Good
Inclusions
Might have black magnetite inclusions that resemble pepper.
Stability
Good
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